Chapter 3: Dinner with the NEWT Students

About fifteen minutes later, Hermione heard a knock at her door. She cautiously opened it. Malfoy stood just outside her room. 

“Yes? I’m busy putting away my things.” Hermione kept her distance. Her trunk had appeared in her room when she’d entered it the second time. She wasn’t avoiding Malfoy, she told herself; she had work to do. 

“Yes, well, McGonagall asked us to join the NEWT students in the Great Hall for dinner and I don’t want to be late. You can stay here as long as you want, but I’d like us to agree on a password so that when I come back, I can get into our quarters."

“Oh, okay, then.” Hermione thought quickly. “How about ‘Dumbledore’?” She squinted slightly as she watched for Malfoy’s reaction. 

“Merlin, Granger, you won’t give up, will you? Fine, ‘Dumbledore’ it is.” Draco spun on his heel and marched out the door, leaving Hermione looking at the space where he was standing.

Something like regret scratched at her gut. She hated Malfoy, right? He had made her life miserable at Hogwarts. He had tried to kill Dumbledore! He had let Death Eaters into Hogwarts to do battle! She had no reason to be polite to him. And yet, being mean to him when he appeared to be making some sort of effort seemed wrong. She wasn’t sure what to do. Either toughen up and ignore these ambivalent feelings or give in to his olive branch. But she couldn’t do that yet – he needed to prove himself first. 

Hermione followed a distance behind Draco down to the Great Hall. She actually caught up with him at the moving staircases. 

“I hate to admit this, but I’ve never come from this direction before. I’m not sure which way to go. I know you, Potty, and the Weasel used to roam the castle at all hours, avoiding detention because you were with 'St. Potter,'" Draco sneered. "So, Granger, based on your extensive experience, which way should we go?” 

Hermione rolled her eyes at Draco’s insult. “I’m actually not sure myself.” She didn’t add that she only broke rules when she had to, in order to save the wizarding world from Death Eaters like him, but she thought it, loudly. 

Draco touched her lightly, guiding her towards the staircase that was approaching from the left. “Let’s try this then, and between the two of us, we should be able to both figure this out and remember it for next time. We are the smartest wizards of our year, you know.” 

“Heck, we’re probably the smartest wizards of our year and the year after, if our selection means anything at all.” Hermione found herself smiling. She immediately pulled her face back into a stern expression. 

“Well, in your case, you did also save the wizarding world from Voldemort, although it seems Potty and the Weasel take all the credit for that.” 

Hermione picked up on his criticism of her friends, rather than the veiled compliment to herself. “And you are one of the only Death Eaters of Slytherin to remain state-side. Congrats.” 

“Father in Azkaban, mother on the run, where’s a boy to go?” he muttered. Regret gnawed at Hermione again, just for an instant.[1] 

“Look, this hallway looks familiar. We’re on the right track,” she said. “Can we find our way back, do you think?” Both turned to mentally calibrate the return trip.  

At the entrance to the Great Hall, Malfoy left her with a slight nod, and headed over to a group of Slytherin seventh years. Hermione noted Pansy and Blaise had returned to take their NEWT exams. She felt a pang as she realized nearly everyone from her year was either taking NEWTs now or not returning to school at all. 

Hermione looked around the large room. Although the room appeared to be restored back to its original state, she noticed that some of the stones were cracked here and there. It appeared that Dark Magic left scars on the buildings it damaged, as well as the people.

“Hermione!” Luna called out. Hermione smiled and made her way over to where Luna sat with Neville Longbottom, at the juncture of the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. Hermione sat down next to Luna and smiled across the table at Neville, who smiled back at her.[2]

“Neville! It's so great to see you here. Studying hard for NEWTs?” 

“I could use your help, Hermione. I’m sure you know as much or more than I do.” 

“But I wasn’t even here last year.” Hermione smiled at the compliment. 

Luna added, in her dreamy voice, “I can’t believe we’ll be graduating from Hogwarts before you, Hermione. You could have graduated after OWLs. But how exciting for you – Head Girl! No one deserves it more than you. As Head Girl, you'll be able to rid the castle of Nargles, you know.” 

Hermione glanced around the table at her classmates. They would finish NEWTs in a month and be gone. She’d have to take her classes with Ginny’s classmates this year. “Thank you, Luna, but it won’t be the same without you and Neville...”  

“… and Harry and Ron.” Neville finished for her. “Now you’ll know how we felt last year without you.” 

Luna leaned over conspiratorially. “So, is it true? Is Draco Malfoy Head Boy?” 

“Well,” intoned Luna, “I’m sure Headmistress McGonagall has her reasons…” 

“Yes,” Hermione jumped in. “An empty Slytherin house. Death Easters flown the country or locked up in Azkaban.” 

“Or dead,” Neville added somberly. 

“Maybe Draco will be a nicer person after all he lost in the war,” Luna envisaged. “I hear his home is nearly destroyed, his fortune halved, most of his family dead or in Azkaban.” 

“And they deserve it and more!” Hermione nearly shrieked. “You were there, Luna, you heard Bellatrix Lastrange torture me, in Malfoy Manor – he witnessed it all and did nothing.” 

Something occurred to Hermione at that moment, as if gears in her head had clinked into place. “Luna, how is it that you are here to study for NEWTs? You were only a sixth year last year, and on top of that, you missed most of the year, didn’t you?”

“About half, actually, but Professor McGonagall has given me permission to try to pass my NEWT level exams a year early. I’m only sitting for Care of Magical Creatures. If I don’t pass, I’ll stay the year here with you. But to be honest, I’m tired of studying pedestrian topics. I want to spend a year in Tanzania studying the mating patterns of Fortfulsnouts.”

“As much as I would love to have you stay,” Hermione smiled, “I would never want you to miss Fortfulsnout mating rituals.” 

Luna gave Hermione a hug, causing her to tear up slightly. ‘At least Ginny will be back,’ Hermione thought. ‘I’ll need at least one good friend to keep me from killing Malfoy.’ 

After a few moments of eating silently, Luna, feigning innocence, asked in her lilting voice, “So, Hermione, how’s Ron?” 

Hermione paused, mid bite. It seems everyone (including Malfoy) was aware of her relationship with Ron. “Good, fine… I spent two weeks at the Burrow before I came here. He and Harry should be able to come with Ginny at the start of the term for a visit.” 

“I was glad to see you and Ron finally get together,” the usually quiet Neville chimed in. With a smirk, he added, “Took you two long enough.” 

“Neville Longbottom!” Hermione laughed with her friend. 

As if on cue, a very small owl flew through the Great Hall, dropping a letter on Hermione’s treacle tart.

“Speak of the devil,” Neville winked, recognizing Pigwidgeon.

Indeed, it was a short note from Ron. Hermione couldn’t wait, so she read it out to her friends (planning to skip any personal asides, if necessary). 

Dear Hermione: 

Hope you’re settled in at Hogwarts. We miss you already. Harry and I are going flat hunting tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll have a place of our own soon. Harry, Ginny, Mum, and everyone says ‘hi.’ Our plans are set to travel to Hogwarts on the train with Ginny next month – hope McGonagall approves. I’m dying to know who the Head Boy is – I don’t like the idea of you sharing a room with any old git. I’m expecting you to write me a foot long parchment all about everything.                                          

XOXO, Ron 

P.S. Hi Hermione. Harry here. We miss you! 

‘What a nice letter,’ thought Hermione. ‘On my first day back, too. There weren’t any private asides to skip, but that’s fine. Ron is sweet to write me today.’

Hermione thought back to her two weeks at the Burrow. She and Ron had grown much closer and Ron was finally acting like a proper boyfriend. She remembered kissing Ron, and how things were starting to progress beyond kissing as well, right about the time she had to return to Hogwarts… 

Neville snapped his fingers in front of Hermione. “Oi, Hermione – trouble approaching.” 

Malfoy sauntered up to the table. “Hey, Granger.”  

‘Just like Malfoy to pull me out of my nice thoughts about Ron,’ Hermione thought. 

“Just wanted to give you a heads up. I’m going down to the dungeons to get an early start on my morale boosting efforts with the Slytherins.” Malfoy smirked. “Don’t wait up for me.” 

“You should move down to the dungeons permanently,” Hermione replied. “You belong down there with your Death Eater friends.” 

“Don’t be jealous, love. Ron will be here soon enough to service your needs,” Malfoy mocked. 

Hermione gritted her teeth in anger. “Just remember, we’re meeting with McGonagall at nine a.m. tomorrow morning. I won’t wait for you to make me late.” 

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be there.” Malfoy sauntered off. 

Hermione took a few cleansing breaths. It would not do to let Malfoy rile her up all the time. They were Head Girl and Head Boy. They needed to work together for Hogwarts’ sake. But she had accumulated seven years of Malfoy hatred. She doubted his motives and mistrusted his words. Why he now appeared to want to do a good job at Head Boy was a mystery to her. She wasn’t sure whether to watch him vigilantly or avoid him altogether. 

“He’s trying to put up a good front, isn’t he?” Luna asked, opaquely.

“What do you mean, a good front? He’s a prat!” Hermione grumbled. 

“Yes, don’t you see? He has to play the role of Draco Malfoy, bad boy. Otherwise, he’ll reveal his pain and vulnerability. Tell me, is he nicer to you when you are alone, away from an audience?” 

Hermione shook her head. “I don’t know about that. It’s really too soon to tell.” But a part of Hermione thought that, for all her eccentricities, Luna’s insights were often dead on. She resolved to observe Malfoy closely in order to figure out what he was playing at.

Hermione was just sending an owl with her reply to Ron on its way when Malfoy entered the Head suite. Hermione eyed him suspiciously, wondering how much he’d had to drink, although who knows what all he could have been up to, down in the Syltherin dungeons with Pansy and Blaise. 

“Oh, sending off a love letter to the Weasel?” 

“It’s none of your business, Malfoy.” 

“How is Won-Won these days?”  

Hermione just stared at Malfoy. Had everyone in all of Hogwarts noticed the idiotic relationship between Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown? 

“Yes, Hermione, we all had to suffer through that crap, not just you. I just hope he hasn’t reduced you to such idiotic blabbering or I may have to move down to the Slytherin dungeons whenever he visits.” 

“I have not and will not change my personality for any guy,” Hermione said, a bit self-righteously. 

“Good. I like the idea of sharing a suite with a girl in dowdy clothes, with bushy hair and her head always buried in a book.” 

Hermione huffed. She had to stop leaving herself open to Malfoy’s insults.